Museo de Arte Sacro de Bilbao (Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Bilbao), Bilbao

Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art is a hidden cultural gem housed in the former Convent of the Incarnation, a Dominican foundation dating back to 1513. Restored and opened to visitors in 1995, the museum integrates medieval and Renaissance architecture with modern museography.
Inside, the museum preserves a remarkable collection of more than 2,000 ecclesiastical artifacts, with approximately 500 items on permanent display. These include intricate sculpture, painting, metalwork, and liturgical garments, spanning from the 12th to the 20th century. The exhibits are arranged thematically and chronologically across categories such as sculpture–painting, metalwork, and vestments.

Among the museum’s highlights is a large-scale painting: Luis Paret’s “Martirio de Santa Lucía” (or “Martyrdom of Saint Lucy”), over two meters tall-an unusual format for the artist-which was featured in the 2021 “Paret in Bilbao: Sacred and Profane Art” exhibition. Additionally, visitors will find a compelling series of fifteen canvases from the workshop of Luca Giordano depicting the life of Christ, works by artists such as Pierre Mignard, Antonio Carnicero, Julio Romero de Torres, and standout pieces like a polychrome wooden “Virgin and Child ” by Luis Salvador Carmona.

The museum also boasts an impressive collection of liturgical silverware and sacred ornaments, including chalices, monstrances, and votive crowns-many of which survived centuries of turmoil and are of exceptional rarity. A particularly memorable artifact is the life-size silver pelican used as a tabernacle, imported from Peru in 1766.

Adding a personal and intimate touch, the museum reconstructs the workshop of Eloy García, Bilbao’s last traditional goldsmith. It houses his tools, unfinished pieces, designs, and even his work coat, evoking the atmosphere of a craftsman mid-creation. For those seeking an interactive experience, the museum also features an escape-room-style activity, “La abadía de Atxuri”, meaning The Abbey of Atxuri.